Corporal James Marsden
Corporal James Marsden was an infantryman with The Light Infantry serving in Northern Ireland during the '91 Disaster when the IRA launched their last major offensive. Early Career Marsden enlisted in the British Army at 16 years old and trained as an Infantryman at Catterick Barracks before joining The Light Infantry then stationed in Canada in 1989. Canadian Deployment At the end of the 1980s the world was getting ever nearer to full scale war. The Light Infantry was one of a number of units reinforcing the Canadian border as the situation with the United States continued to deteriorate. Marsden's unit was based in Steinbach, Winnipeg near the border. The Light Infantry was primarily involved in intercepting asylum seekers fleeing the United States (an increasing problem as the 80s gave way to the 90s). Many of these asylum seekeres were armed and on January 11th 1990 Marsden's platoon found itself under attack by just such a group. They were forced to return fire killing two men, both borthers, before the other members of their group surrendered. Quick Promotion Marsden's enthusiasm and aptitude for infantry work did not go unnoticed by the officers in his unit and as The Light Infantry prepared to redploy to Northern Ireland at the end of 1990 he was promoted to Corporal. His Junior NCO training was undertaken in the field by his own officers during the time in Canada. Northern Ireland Northern Ireland at the start of 1991 was a powder keg waiting to go off. New Commonwealth intelligence agencies knew that the Irish Republican Army (IRA), spurred on by the US Military Government, were planning a major offensive. As such The Light Infantry found at the start of the deployment that things were relatively quiet. The March Offensive Many historians believe that the US Military Government deliberately coaxed the IRA into launching thier offensive against the British in March 1991 to distract the British military before the war in Canada broke out. Fifteen major areas across the southernmost territories of Northern Ireland erupted into open fighting on March 27th 1991. The Battle of Ballintyre Day 1 - March 30th 1991 The Light Infantry was in the thick of things and Marsbar found himself and his section in heavy street fighting in a town called Ballintyre twenty miles north of the border from the Republic of Ireland. The offensive was unlike anything experienced in Ireland since the 1916 uprising. On March 30th Marsden was aboard a Saracen 6x6 APC, part of a reconnaissance patrol through the southernmost edge of the town when they were ambushed. Almost immediately the three Saracens were disabled and the infantrymen inside had to fight their way out of them and take cover in a nearby warehouse. By this point of the eighteen soldiers who had began the patrol only nine were still alive and Marsden was the most senior of the remainder. Even worse was the fact that nearly all the radio equipment was destroyed. The IRA surrounded the warehouse making probing attacks to determine the strength of the British unit. Marsden, conscious of the low ammunition his men had left, had his men fire only at targets of opportunity and at least three IRA soldiers were killed attempting to gain entry into the building. Marsden ordered that these men be stripped of their weapons and these were in turn distributed amongst the survivors to keep up the defence. By 1715hrs the area commander was growing increasingly concerned that the patrol had not returned or made contact and ordered two Lynx helicopters over the area. Marsden saw the aircraft approaching and climbed onto the roof of the warehouse to signal them using a signalling mirror; a risky move considering the enemy forces in the area. Having made contact with them the Lynx helicopters dropped equipment down to the besieged troops including a radio and additional ammunition but both aircraft soon came under heavy attack themselves and had to withdraw. The radio meant that Marsden could communicate with the area commander but the news was grim. It would be impractical to mount a rescue effort at that point given the heavy enemy presence in the area. Under the cover of darkness more helicopters flew over the warehouse dropping food, ammunition and equipment. Day 2 - March 31st 1991 As dawn broke the exhausted British troops found themslevs under a concentrated IRA attack. Once again a constant fear on Marsden's mind was running out of ammunition and he constantly had to remind his men not to 'spray-and-pray'. From an obeservation point established on the roof one of Marsden's men spotted a building that the IRA troopers were going in and out of presumably to get ammunition. Marsden got on the radio and requested a mortar attack but this request was refused as at that point the British Government did not want to appear to be escalating the conflict with heavier weaponry. More helicopters appeared in the area however to support Marsden and his men and one of these helicopters opened up with heavy machine gun fire on the building to at the very least dissuade the IRA from using it. As the day drew to a close the fighting seemed break off as the IRA pulled back to regroup. Marsden reported that at least seven IRA terrorists had been confirmed killed by his men during the day. Little did they know however that in Canada the real war was just beginning. Day 3 - April 1st 1991 With the fighting in Canada the British Government quickly passed the Emergency Counter Terrorism (Ireland) Act to deal with the IRA offensive as quickly as possible. This in effect allowed the Army to use whatever means necessary to destroy the IRA. At 1234hrs Marsden was asked to confirm if the building at the end of the street was still being used by the IRA as an impromptu headquarters. Marsden confirmed this and moments later he was amazed to see an artillery shell obliterate the building. The IRA launched yet another assault on the warehouse but this time a flock of Lynx and Gazelle helicopters flooded the sky. Marsden personally coordinated missile and rocket attacks on IRA positions, he and his men being encouraged by news that an operation using Warrior IFVs was underway to rescue them that evening. At 2315hrs the Warrior IFVs rolled into Ballintyre with little opposition, the IRA having largely withdrawn following intense air and artillery efforts. Marsden's men were rescued and taken to a nearby forward command area. It was here that they learned the true extent of what was happening in Canada. Decoration For his part in the battle, Marsden was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC). There were those who wanted him to receive the Victoria Cross but offically the fighting in Northern Ireland was not a war and therefore he did not qualify. Category:Heroes & Villains